Barracoon is a beautiful and haunting story of the last man alive in his time with memories of being free in Africa and sold as a slave to the United States. This is a haunting account of the love Cudjo had for his culture in Africa and the sadness he encountered in the United States in his slave days and beyond. My heart ached for him at each tragedy he encountered, and when I thought I could feel no worse for him, Cudjo would tell of yet another tragedy in America, and another. Zaora Neale Hurston gives voice to Cudjo's narrative in his own vernacular, spelling his words as she heard them. I feel like I was listening to this man's story with my own ears. It took some getting used to in order to not have to slow down to understand his unique voice, but I could understand everything. I found all of the introductions and footnotes to be helpful in the story, even if they were somewhat repetitive. It gave me a framework from which to build on while hearing Cudjo's own story.

Oral histories are a treasure.